MISSOULA — It was nice to be home for the Missoula Loyola boys and girls track and field teams.
Both squads pulled away for the team championships Saturday at the Class B state meet at Missoula County Public Schools Stadium. For the Breakers, it was redemption, as they won the title in 2023 and then were the runners-up last spring.
"I think it's definitely just some reassurance that even though we fell a little short last year, this year we come back stronger than ever," said sophomore Sophia Berry, who won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 45.05 seconds. "We wanted that win. It's very reassuring to know that we've worked so hard to get here and that we did get it."
Photos: 2025 Class B/C state track and field meet - Day 2
The Rams, meanwhile, won their first championship since 2005.
"It's cool. I know the girls have had success in the past years, and we've kind of been right behind them," said Ethan Stack, the boys winner in the triple jump with a mark of 43 feet, 3¾ inches. "Just for senior year, though, that's cool to see, and to walk out with some of the girls in the senior team ... we'll always have that."
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Stack edged teammate Jack Clevenger for the triple jump title Saturday with Clevenger taking the lead on his final jump — a 43-10½ effort. Stack, though, popped off his championship-winning mark on his next and final attempt.
"I had to kind of one up him and stay competitive and just kind of compete with him," Stack said. "But it's an honor to do that with him."
Stack also placed third in the high jump (6-4) on Saturday, and Loyola got another win from Jackson Kuiken in the 110-meter hurdles (15.36 seconds). As a team, the Rams scored 58 points to finish just ahead of rival Florence, which had 53. Columbus was third with 45 points, followed by Superior with 40 and Jefferson with 36. The Panthers had won the previous four team titles.
Superior got three event wins Saturday, with sophomore Landon Richards winning the high jump after clearing 6-6 and senior Trizten Avila winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes to go with his Friday win in the 400.
Avila was not the favorite in any of the sprints entering the meet, but he walked away with three gold medals and a Class B-record time of 22.0 seconds in the 200. He won the 100 in 11.24 seconds and the 400 in 50.05.
"Just sub-22, because I know our school record's 22," Avila said of his 200 goal. "And then after I heard that the Class B record was 22.07, I wanted it pretty bad."
"It feels good. Lets me know that I can do it, and I'm able to perform," he added.
Also on the boys track Saturday, Big Timber's Caleb Stosich won the 300-meter hurdles in 39.55, and Joliet's Auston Schellig added a win in the 1,600-meter run (4:24.35) after setting the Class B record in the 800 on Friday.
Columbus won the 400-meter relay in 43.43 seconds and Fairview closed the meet by winning the 1,600-meter relay in 3:25.01.
In the field, Luke Oxarart of Jefferson won the shot put with a throw of 48-07½ and Jesse Day of Eureka won the javelin with a personal-best throw of 180-11.
In addition to Berry's win in the 300 hurdles, the Loyola girls swept the relays. They won the 400 with a time of 49.01 and the 1,600 with a 4:03.20.
"It's like a closing statement, like it's very secure and you know that the girls you just worked so hard with all season and what you've accomplished, it just showcases how hard you have worked together and appreciated being with each other," said Berry, who ran the anchor leg of the meet-closing 1,600 relay.
Allison Gama gave the Breakers two more wins, earning first-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles (14.8 seconds) and high jump (5-4).
Other winners in the field Saturday were Malta's Denvyr Tuss in the shot put (37-8¼) and Huntley Project's Avery Gerdes in the triple jump (37-0½).
Shepherd's, meanwhile, swept the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Dalke won the 100 in 12.4 seconds on Saturday, but the junior set the Class B record with a time of 12.24 seconds in Friday's prelims.
"I low-key think that it was how I came out of my block starts," Dalke said of the record-setting time. "I think I had a really strong start coming out of my blocks. I just don't like losing, so I like to push myself to win, but I don't know, it just happened."
While the record was nice, Dalke said Saturday's gold medal still meant more to her. And the increased competition at the state meet helped Dalke lower her times from the regular season.
She clocked a 25.33-second time in the 200.
"The nervousness that I get from it is definitely real, but I think that I run great off of adrenaline," she said. "And having the girls that are just as fast as you around you, they push you to run faster. Actually, they're a great support team, if that makes sense."
Saturday's other event winner was Natalie Hodgskiss of Choteau. The sophomore won the 1,600-meter run with a PR of 5:08.68, her second state championship in the event.
